This invention relates to an image display control method and apparatus for outputting an image display signal to a display apparatus to display an image on the apparatus, and to the display apparatus.
In a known display apparatus having a display controller and a display unit, image quality (indicating the quality of a displayed image being changed by adjusting color, brightness and contrast, and the like) can be adjusted upon receiving a signal sent from a wireless controller (utilizing an infrared light) or the like. With such an apparatus, the color adjustment of the displayed image usually is performed using a dedicated image processing circuit and the like.
In a case where the adjustment of the image quality such as brightness and contrast of a displayed image is performed, control can be performed independently for each of the colors R, G, B. However, in a case where the adjustment of the image quality such as chromaticity or hue of displayed image is performed, it is required that each pixel be calculated using all three of the R, G, B data. This leads to greater hardware load and to an increase in the scale of the hardware.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image display control method and apparatus, as well as a display apparatus, in which implementation of adjustment functions is shared by a display controller and display unit in accordance with the type of image quality adjustment indication designated, thereby preventing a decline in image quality and making it possible to adjust the image quality of a displayed image.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image display control method and apparatus, as well as a display apparatus which has a display unit and a display controller for controlling display by outputting an image signal and a synchronizing signal to the display unit, wherein among image quality adjustments that have been designated, adjustment of brightness, contrast and color temperature of a displayed image is performed by the display unit and image quality adjustments other than these are performed by the display controller, whereby an increase in the scale of hardware is suppressed and designated image quality adjustments can be performed efficiently.
According to the present invention, the foregoing objects are attained by providing an image display control apparatus for outputting an image signal to a display unit to display an image on the display unit, comprising: input means for inputting an image quality adjustment designation for designating adjustment of image quality of an image displayed on the display unit; determination means for determining whether the image quality adjustment designation input by the input means designates an image quality adjustment that is to be performed by the display unit; command transmitting means for converting an image quality adjustment designation, which the determination means has determined designates an image quality adjustment to be performed by the display unit, to a command and transmitting the command to the display unit; image processing means for processing an image signal to thereby execute image quality adjustment and outputting processed image signal; and output means for outputting, to the display unit, the processed image signal produced by the image processing means by executing an image quality adjustment other than that of the image quality adjustment designation that the determination means has determined is to be performed by the display unit.
According to the present invention, the foregoing objects are attained by providing an image display control method for outputting an image signal to a display unit to display an image on the display unit, comprising: an input step of inputting an image quality adjustment designation for designating adjustment of image quality of an image displayed on the display unit; a determination step of determining whether the image quality adjustment designation input at the input step designates an image quality adjustment that is to be performed by the display unit; a command transmitting step of converting the image quality adjustment designation, which the designating step has determined designates an image quality adjustment to be performed by the display unit, to a command and transmitting the command to the display unit; an image processing step of executing an image quality adjustment other than that of the image quality adjustment designation that the determination step has determined is to be performed by the display unit; and an output step of outputting, to the display unit, an image signal an image signal processed at the image processing step.
Further, the present invention provides a display apparatus having a display controller and a display unit for displaying an image based upon an image signal from the display controller, wherein the display controller comprises: input means for inputting an image quality adjustment designation for designating adjustment of image quality of an image displayed on the display unit; determination means for determining whether the image quality adjustment designation input by the input means designates an image quality adjustment that is to be performed by the display unit; command transmitting means for converting an image quality adjustment designation, which the determination means has determined designates an image quality adjustment to be performed by the display unit, to a command and transmitting the command to the display unit; image processing means for processing an image signal to thereby execute image quality adjustment; and output means for outputting, to the display unit, a signal produced by the image processing means by executing an image quality adjustment other than that of the image quality adjustment designation that the determination means has determined is to be performed by the display unit;
and the display unit comprises: command analyzing means for analyzing the command that has been transmitted by the command transmitting means; and image quality adjusting means for adjusting displayed image quality in accordance with the image quality adjustment designation that is based upon the command analyzed by the command analyzing means.
It is preferred that if an image signal in the present invention contains R, G, B signals and each of the R, G, B signals can be processed independently to thereby execute the designated image quality adjustment, then a determination is made to the effect that the designated image quality adjustment is to be performed by the display unit.
It is preferred that if the display unit has an image quality adjustment function, then a determination is made to the effect that the designated image quality adjustment is to be performed by the display unit.
It is preferred that if the designated image quality adjustment is an adjustment of brightness, contrast or color temperature, then a determination is made to the effect that the designated image quality adjustments to be performed by the display unit.
It is preferred that if the designated image quality adjustment is a change of chromaticity or hue or emphasis of contour, then a determination is made to the effect that the image quality adjustment is to be performed by image processor of the display controller.
It is preferred that the display unit has a display panel which includes surface-conduction type of emission devices.
It is preferred that the display unit include a CRT.
It is preferred that the image quality adjustment designation be made by an infrared signal from a wireless controller.
It is preferred that the display unit analyze a command that has been transmitted to it and perform the image quality adjustment, which is based upon the analyzed command, by changing pulse width of a display driving signal.
It is preferred that the display unit analyze a command that has been transmitted to it and perform the image quality adjustment, which is based upon the analyzed command, by changing driving current of a display driving signal.
It is preferred that the display unit analyze a command that has been transmitted to it and perform the image quality adjustment, which is based upon the analyzed command, by changing number of pulses of a display driving signal.